August has been an unforgettable month! We are nearing the end of an important challenge - raising $150,000 in 7 weeks for the downpayment and closing costs for a new home for Halau i Ka Pono and Zen Live & Meditation Center.

We have raised 85% of our goal and have two weeks left for the last 15%. I hope youʻll help us.

This last phase feels like childbirth - that last push is the hardest. But at this stage, you know thereʻs no turning back no matter what. A beautiful baby is about to be born.

We had a wonderful Launch Party in mid-August in our new space at 46 Lake Street. This multi-story building with a backyard garden - proved spacious and welcoming to some hundred people. We began the day with meditation. I gave a dharma talk about Embodiment and Mindfulness that can be viewed on our Zen Center Facebook page. Next we gave our delighted guests a full tour of the property. Then we had delicious food and hula!

We began with chanting the Pule Hoʻoulu (Prayer to Inspire Growth) taught by kumu hula Kealiʻi Reichel when he visited here several years ago. Kulanihakoʻi is the name of a mythical pond in the heavens. The chant asks for the pond to overflow with abundance.

Then we honored Pele, the great goddess of the volcano, with hulas for Pele and her sister Hiʻiaka. Pele is the goddess of destruction and creation. The Volcano has been erupting magnificently on Hawaii Island since May with lava flowing steadily to the ocean creating new land.

The next song was Nani Kamakura (Beautiful Kamakura) where my first chair hula student, Rose Patterson, performed. Rose used to be a professional dancer, but now - because of her diabetes - is legally blind and has her big toe amputated. But this didnʻt stop her! Her indomitable spirit and love of dance was clearly evident in her heartfelt hula.

We ended with a song for Poliahu, the goddess of the snow, who lives on the top of Mauna Kea. Poliahu is also the Hawaiian goddess of compassion who helps people in distress. The song speaks about heartbreak and love. Since we say that Hula is life, itʻs important to fully experience whatever feelings arise - to dance with them and bear witness. We can heal by honestly bearing witness to what is arising and what is passing away in our experience.

Iʻm inspired by our new home and have many plans for it to strengthen the halau. For instance increasing hula classes. Training teachers is another. I also plan hula and meditation retreats and more hula workshops. All is possible in this new permanent and larger space.

We are so very grateful for those of you who have generously given so we can move into our new home! For this final push we really hope that those of you have been inspired by what we do, will make a contribution today and help bring our Zen and Hula baby into the world!!!